After White Lotus S3 sighting, Gucci unveils a new Bamboo showcase

Gucci’s iconic Bamboo bag, recently highlighted by Parker Posey in Season Three of "White Lotus," is the mainstay of the brand’s latest exhibition that launched in Shanghai on Friday. Set in the historic Sunke Villa, an architectural wonder located in a charming downtown area, the exhibition titled "Gucci Bamboo: Decoding an Icon" examined the history, design evolution, and cultural importance of the Bamboo 1947 bag. Curated and designed by the agency 2050+, the exhibition opened in Shanghai on March 28 and will be available to the public from April 1 to April 6.

Gucci Bamboo: A deep exploration of craftsmanship and design

The showcase offers an in-depth look into the House’s archives, tracing the development of this timeless piece and honoring its lasting legacy while reinterpreting its relevance in today’s context. Since its debut year, the Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag has stood as a lasting symbol of the House. Its design draws from the equestrian world, utilizing silhouettes and materials reminiscent of fine leather saddles, while the distinctive curved bamboo handle—which is both its namesake and defining feature—nods to the bamboo walking sticks once favored by Guccio Gucci’s son.

Despite changes in form and materials under various creative directors, the characteristic handle has remained the same, linking the past to the present. Today, artisans at the House in Florence, Italy, meticulously shape each bamboo handle by hand over an open flame, thereby preserving the iconic curvature and craftsmanship associated with the brand’s bag collection. Ippolito Pestellini, the exhibition’s curator and founder of the interdisciplinary agency 2050+, stated that the brand’s Shanghai exhibition is intended to provide an “unprecedented opportunity to delve into Gucci’s archives and explore the history of the house through the lens of one of its most iconic creations.”

“The resulting exhibition is a collection of stories that intersect past and present, natural elements and artisanship, and a design history that is both everlasting and mutable,” Pestellini added.

“These stories are presented through a series of theatrical acts that take visitors from the reality of the materials and craftsmanship behind the Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag to the expanded imagery that bamboo has shaped and continues to shape within the house,” he continued.

The exhibition unfolds across seven distinct rooms and two stories, beginning with a suspended bamboo installation that honors its symbolic origins, representing resilience and renewal, as well as its ties to Chinese culture and the global community. Bamboo carries significant cultural importance, especially in China, where it has long symbolized humility, nobility, and perseverance—virtues that are deeply ingrained in art, literature, and philosophy.

Gucci Bamboo: Decoding an Icon pays homage to its heritage while examining bamboo’s evolution from a natural resource to a medium of artistic and design innovation. The Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag is crafted through a meticulous process that takes 13 hours and involves 428 steps expertly performed by the House’s artisans. A specific area of the exhibition deconstructs the bag’s complex construction, presenting its components like an anatomical study. A table-like display reveals every thoughtfully designed detail, while an interactive periscope-like device allows visitors to closely examine the textures, materials, and craftsmanship that define this iconic design.